The volume presents the results of the archaeological survey of a Roman age tumular necropolis in the administrative territory of the town of Straldzha, Yambol region. The investigation was carried out as a rescue excavation due to the construction of the “Trakia” highway. Five tumuli of the necropolis have been thoroughly researched. A total of thirty one graves have been discovered, of which nineteen are cremations and twelve are inhumations. Nineteen complexes related to commemoration practices have been surveyed. There are two horse burials. Eight of the studied inhumations are secondary, and one grave is from the Bronze age and predates the necropolis. The excavation of the necropolis has revealed the skeletal remains of thirty-four individuals, and for twenty-two of them age and sex have been determined. The entire ceramic material and all small finds discovered at the site have been investigated in detail. The date of the researched necropolis near Straldzha is based on the coins found and the various objects put as grave goods. The period of its initial heaping and use is the early 2nd until the first decades of the 3rd century.

The Early Neolithic settlement is situated in the Gradets locality near the village of Mayor Uzunovo, Vidin municipality. The archeological excavations were carried out in the autumn of 2013. All trenches yielded artefacts dated back to the Early Neolithic.

Structure 1 is damaged by the agricultural cultivation of the soil. The structure is a large conical depression 2.1 m wide filled with dark brown to gray ashy sediment. Remains of a destroyed fireplace and ashes were discovered in the upper part of the structure. Structure 1 was 80-90 cm dug into the ancient surface.

Structure 2 is an oval-shaped negative form. Six complete ceramic vessels were found in situ on the bottom of the structure. The recorded stratigraphic sequence is the following: a layer of plough soil, an Early Neolithic layer which is thicker in the areas where structures have been discovered and sandy sediment of yellowish color.

The pottery yielded by the three trenches is grey to black in colour and has organic temper in it (fine chaff particle most probably from the animal excrements added to the clay). Four technological groups are defined based on the color of the surface. Sherds with painted decoration were not discovered. There are a bone harpoon, bone arrowheads and ceramic labrets among the small finds.

The Early Neolithic Mayor Uzunovo-Gradets site is contemporary to the Protostarchevo I-II culture. It is the first archeological site in the Vidin region marking the territorial connection between the settlements of the Protostarchevo culture in present-day Eastern Serbia and the Ohoden-Valoga site in the Vratsa region in present-day Northwestern Bulgaria.

The pottery assemblages are among the most important chronological and cultural elements of the archeological cultures in the Late Prehistory and their study provides extremely important information.

This article is aimed at presenting a group of vessels from the Early Chalcolithic settlement near the village of Gradeshnitsa. These vessels are interpreted as storage vessels. Undoubtedly they are among the most interesting and characteristic shapes of the Gradeshintsa site pottery assemblage. The article is focused on the typological differentiation of the vessels within the defined group and the parallels between the ornamentation on the vessels and the ornamentation on the anthropomorphic figurines from the same site.

Tell Rousse is one of the largest and most interesting prehistoric sites in Bulgaria. It was 10 m high and was completely excavated during four main archaeological campaigns carried out in the previous century. The site was located near the right bank of the Danube River close to another tell smaller in size, which was inhabited in the end of the Chalcolithic. Tell Rousse was occupied for a long period. Eighteen construction levels dated back to the Middle and Late Chalcolithic were defined. There are serious problems related to the stratigraphic sequence of the tell and for that reason the artifacts do not provide reliable information.

The third millennium BC in Crete is known as Early Minoan or Prepalatial period. The self-confidence and the high status of the Early Minoans were manifested by their jewellery production. The Minoan pieces of jewellery were made from gold, silver, bronze, lead and copper. Semi-precious and precious stones such as rock-crystal, carnelian, garnet, lapis lazuli, obsidian as well as red, green and yellow jasper were used.

The jewellery of the Minoan civilization represented by Bronze Age artefacts from Crete together with other Minoan visual art forms is not only a proof of extremely high technological skills and creative imagination but also an expression of the love of abundance and the joy of the vibrant nature.

The images of Dionysus are some of the most popular in Greek vase painting. The diversity of this god is a result of the complexity of his character and his different faces with which Greek painters present him on vases. Descriptions of his appearance, clothing and attributes are short and occur sporadically in archaic and classical written sources. Dionysus is one of the most popular and diverse deities represented in Thrace. The analysis of the god’s images on vases, discovered mainly in the Greek colonies along the Black Sea coast as well as in the neighbouring regions, shows that all aspects of the Dionysian imagery existed in Thrace and evidence the main iconographic trends in the Greek vase painting in the Archaic and the Classical period.

All artifacts that are subject of this article were discovered in the necropolis of Apollonia Pontica. They are spool-shaped and are made of semi-transparent glass of slightly yellowish colour. The total number of these items is 12 and they were all part of the inventory of graves, where they are found most often in pairs. The most popular hypothesis is that these items served as stands, supporting small vessels for scented oils with pointed or rounded bottoms, such as glass amphoriskoi, alabastra and aryballoi. A major obstacle against this interpretation is provided by the fact that such items are extremely rarely discovered in closed contexts together with a vessel they are suggested to support. The fact that the so-called “stands” were found in contexts where there was nothing to be supported, suggests that they could have an entirely different function, for example as ear ornaments

The paper is aimed at defining the main trends in the architectural decoration of the Early Hellenistic period, which influenced the iconography of the caryatids in the tomb in Ginina Mogila near Sveshtari and revealing the way these trends were modified and combined.

The figures at Sveshtari are related to the iconographic type of the caryatids – female figures in architectonic context holding up, constructively or symbolically, the superstructure above them. The caryatids from the recently discovered tomb at Amphipolis are very important for this study because for the present they and the ones from Sveshtari are the earliest examples of caryatids with raised arms. The Sveshtari figures are a combination between the image of the caryatids and the iconography of the tendril- and snake-limbed goddess reflected in both the raised hands of the figures and the way the kolpos of the chiton is rendered (turning into three acanthus leaves). The incorporation of the caryatids within the Doric colonnade in the burial chamber shows the third main line of influence, which is to place figures between columns. The original way, in which those trends are combined and modified, suggests also the main function of the figures – to hold the canopy over the grave of the deceased.

The number of the so-called rich burials of warriors in Southern Thrace dated back to the 5th – 3rd century BC increased significantly during the past two decades. It has to be pointed out that these assemblages very often yield complete sets of armor and horse trappings together with ritual and everyday life artefact. In view with this fact there is a need of reconsideration of this particular aspect of the burial assemblages. The new analysis will provide opportunity to define a certain group – the group of the warriors-horsemen – and will shed light on some common and individual typical features as well as on specific beliefs reflected by the burial ritual related to them.

Dionysos has common features with the plants – vitality and ability to come back to life. The most popular plants associated with the deity are the vine, the ivy and the pine tree, but there are some other, less popular ones, that play a role in the cult of Dionysos such as fig, wild dill, etc. Similar to the deity, these plants have light and dark sides and they can bring joy and happiness as well as madness or even death. Dionysos occupies an important place in the rural, agricultural and wild environment. The dualistic nature of the Greek god is represented by his iconography; he has many faces and reincarnations. Sometimes certain plants symbolize a particular aspect of the cult of Dionysos. The article is aimed at defining their importance and symbolic meaning in Thrace based on their representation on artefacts dated back to the Pre-Roman period.

The paper is aimed at studying different categories of belt fittings dated back to the Late Antiquity from present-day Bulgaria. The buckles were divided into groups because of the wide chronological range and the large number of the artifacts. The author suggested a typology, which can be updated and upgraded. Since there is no unified terminology in the Bulgarian academic literature related to the elements of the belt fittings, a brief review on them is made here The article presents a description of the belt fittings and a brief review on their function, shapes and location on the belt. These artifacts are important chronological indicators. They provide information about social status, gender and ethnic affiliation, trade relation and production centers. There is a catalog of the artifacts under study. The article is illustrated by 5 tables (41 artifacts) presenting part of the typical shapes, manufacturing techniques and decorative styles.

The article is aimed at presenting the topography and the architecture of the ancient town of Parthicopolis located underneath the modern town of Sandanski. The author accepts the assumption of Louis and Jeanne Robert, who believe that this town is the ancient town of Parthicopolis mentioned by the written sources. This hypothesis is supported by new information about the historical geography of the Middle Strymon valley. A suggestion is made about the time of the establishment of the central part of the town based on available epigraphic evidence. The author makes an attempt to trace out the route of the defensive wall enclosing ca. 20 hectares large area. The theatre is the only excavated public building within the later defensive walls dated back to this period. There is information about other buildings situated underneath basilicas № 1 and № 4. Outside the town walls there was a sanctuary and a temple of the Thracian Horseman called Θεὸς Σαληνος. The locations of the Roman graves on the map provide information about the functioning of a large cemetery situated to the south and another one situated on a hill, to the west of the town.

The field surveys for megalithic monuments in Bulgaria began in the late 19th–early 20th century and continue to the present. None of the studied and described megaliths in Bulgaria provides an example for a well-maintained monument. Apart from the funds necessary for their conservation, there is also a need of complex approaches for their study and persistency in their maintenance. The lack of consistent and efficient state policy is not the only reason for the destruction of these monuments. There is an urgent need of research activities (not interpretations), cooperation between the specialists for complex studies, a vision, an adequate plan for sustainable preservation of the monuments as well as their environment, etc.

The paper presents several dolmens from Bulgaria as an illustration of the problems related to them.

The intensive development and the broad dissemination of the digital network resulted in the establishment of an information society based on knowledge. Since a greater number of products of the cultural sector are used online in the recent years, it is of key importance to provide an online access to them.

This article aims at analyzing and presenting statistical data based on the online activity of the Bulgarian museums in terms of their dynamic integration process in the virtual environment.

The integration of the immovable archaeological monuments in the contemporary urban structure is a very important issue. The paper is a case study on research and analyses on the theatre and amphitheatre of Serdica dated back to the Roman period and located in the centre of Sofia.

The process of integration of the archaeological heritage provides a lot of possibilities, opportunities for interpretations and ideas for the development of a city centre in general. The integration process involves different parties having different goals, concepts on heritage and implementation methods. Therefore several main questions are raised. Who are the participants and how they will work together? How many levels of integration are there? Who is the one to take decisions and what methodology will be implemented? What is the future of this particular archaeological site located in the city centre?

The underwater cultural and historical heritage is threatened not only by the destructive impact of the environmental, in which it is located, but also by unauthorized fishing and other activities providing benefits for a limited group of people only.

Certain approaches, which are already part of foreign good practices and can provide effective protection and conservation for the underwater archaeological heritage in the Bulgarian Black Sea territorial waters, can be applied. The protection of the underwater archaeological sites can be achieved through establishment of underwater archaeological reserves, underwater museums and parks, replicas and digital reconstructions of sunken ships, etc. Various approaches can be used for encouraging public education and promoting public access to the underwater cultural heritage.

The development of the protection and conservation of the underwater cultural and historical heritage in Bulgaria requires a development of a management strategy. It has to provide information for a broader audience, define a number of criteria, develop methods for public involvement in the process of heritage protection, take measures for the actual protection through underwater conservation activities, monitor and prohibit certain fishing activities with a destructive impact on the underwater archaeological heritage.

Scientific methods, showing the researcher how properly to acquire knowledge, exist in all fields of science. Archaeological surface surveys are not an exception. Some of the applicable methods have been developed in theory, and others deliberately modified for the execution of certain regional projects, but all of them contain all the non-destructive archaeological work focused on the spatial aspect – preliminary preparations, actual fieldwalking and post-processing activities. Archaeology in Bulgaria has also taken part in these world trends. Being a territory densely inhabited since the Prehistoric periods to Modern times, it has offered a vast amount of knowledge to researchers. Extensive surveys aimed at acquiring all sort of information have been conducted in Bulgaria since the middle of the 16th century. Most of the surveys in the 20th century have been site-orientated, some of them even being deliberately focused only on sites dating from a specific chronological period. All of the listed trends are part of the development of archaeological surface survey methods. As a result a great amount of legacy data has been accumulated, most of which has been collected in the database “Archaeological Map of Bulgaria”. In the early 1980s several attempts at intensive systematic surveys took place in Bulgaria involving many researchers. Unfortunately, these processes were suspended until recent times when the established field survey methods were combined with Geographic Information Systems software, in both desktop and mobile applications. Intensive surveys, both systematic and salvage, showing the densities of artefacts as “carpet-like” scatters are becoming more and more popular in Bulgaria nowadays. Spatial location and replicated collections of site surfaces with assessment of ground visibility show interesting trends most of which have been discussed in foreign publications.

The paper attempts at a brief overview and critical analysis of the stratigraphic evidence pertaining to settlement sites of the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age from Upper Thrace. It draws together data from approximately 20 sites dated within the specified periods, among which, for the purpose of analysis, is included indirect evidence from nearby necropolis sites. Notably, the sites are distributed unevenly over the study area; however, this is determined by the state of research. The principle share of the empirical data is made available by the vigorous national infrastructure projects associated with the construction of the Thrakya and Maritsa highways and the modernization of the Plovdiv-Svilengrad railway.

The main inhibitor to the study of the early Thracian society is the lack of fully investigated settlement sites of Late Bronze-Early Iron Age date. Comparisons to the collections from the eponymous sites of Pshenichevo, Asenovets, and Razkopanitsa, satisfy less and less the comprehensive analyses inquiring into the myriad aspects of the early Thracian Antiquity. The want for an update of the archaeological data from those is palpable. Furthermore, ever more pressing is the need for pinning the artefacts, in particular pottery – the principle chronological marker from sealed deposits, by means of series of absolute (14С) dates, procured from as much as possible of ancient Thrace.

The paper discusses the different categories of votive offerings from the 3rd century AD pagan sanctuary by Mezdra that came to light during the excavations in 2005-2012. It aims at elaboration of a detailed classification of the finds of the kind, which could be applied while working with similar material from other antique cult places. Based on their nature and functional purpose, the votive offerings from the sanctuary are distributed into 10 major groups. The attribution of a particular item to one of these also depends on its semantic and symbolic contents. The analysis of the votive offerings makes it possible to broaden the circle of deities worshipped in the discussed sanctuary. The number of divine addressees is unusually great. The ethnic and social composition of the dedicators is rather mixed, too. Besides its location along an important and intensively used in Roman times road (the one from Oescus to Serdica), the significance of the sanctuary must have also greatly contributed to that.

The purpose of the paper is to collect information about stone fountains constructed in the Rhodope Mountains before the mid of the 20th century as well as to document their present state of preservation. The research is focused on artefacts which were not sufficiently studied or were not studied at all until present and provides new information which can be used in future studies. The author’s interest on the subject was provoked by the opportunity to study the stone fountains not only as a group of architectural artifacts of artistic value, but also to relate them to specific ritual practices and mythological beliefs which survived during the centuries in isolated regions. Ritual practices related to water sources survived from the Thracian period and can still be traced in mythological beliefs in the Rhodope Mountains.

Laser analytical techniques provide some conveniences for the study of archaeological artefacts and works of art. These are simplicity, directness and fastness as well as possibility of infield studies. Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy can be applied for molecule composition analysis of a given object’s surface. The resulting information helps to identify an organic and inorganic compounds, organic impurities, etc. The reported method is successfully applied for authentication of studied subjects and for direct monitoring and assessment of the effects of conservation-restoration procedures. In the „Metal Vapour Lasers“ laboratory at the Institute of Solid State Physics, BAS, various laser applications are being developed for preservation of cultural heritage, including laser-induced fluorescence. The aim of our current research is to study a wide range of materials (pigments, dyes, adhesives and binders), commonly found in objects of historical value. This will create a comprehensive database that will allow further investigation of real artefacts and monuments.

Lasers are very precise and reliable tools concerning many conservation-restoration procedures. Removal of unwanted surface impurities and layers is a delicate process that needs handling with great care. The laser cleaning technique is applied successfully in many case studies. The goal of this paper is to highlight the potential of the lasers for restoring archaeological artefacts and artworks. Some cleaning experiments on stone and metal surfaces performed with Q-switched Nd:YAG laser and CuBr vapour metal laser are presented as well.

The microbial diversity in caves and the role of microbial communities in rock paintings destruction is a topic of present interest.

The aim of the recent study is focused on the characterization of the microbial communities inhabiting the Magura Cave in order to develop a strategy for conservation of the unique paintings in the cave. Aimed at estimating the dynamics of microbial populations inhabiting the Magura Cave, four subsequent samplings were done in the course of twelve months.

The comparative analysis of the microbial communities clearly demonstrates that each sample, respectively location, possess a unique microbial population structure and specific ratios between the different target groups, slightly changed during the monitoring investigation.

The analysis revealed the presence of all tested physiological groups with the predominance of psychrophiles and oligiocarbophiles. Slightly variations in the number of actinomyces and fungi were observed among the different locations.

Graphic reconstructions have always accompanied restoration projects related to the study of lost architectural traces. It is difficult to track their history, since in practice they have been an intrinsic part of the evolution of the activity and science of restoration.

3D modelling, graphic and virtual reconstruction as a means of studying and preservation of cultural heritage are still rarely applied for the needs of archaeology in our country. This is a topic which should be subject to continuous and profound investigation. Scientific studies and preservation of cultural heritage would benefit from the preparation of virtual reconstructions, provided the latter obeys certain principles, which warrant the achievement of the required intellectual and technical strictness.

The paper aims to rationalize the actuality and need of such research activity for the needs of cultural heritage. Illustration of the first attempt to perform digital restoration of the southern fortress wall of the Discoduraterae emporium (village of Gostilitsa, municipality of Dryanovo) and the results from it is provided.